Большая книга интервью

by Joseph Brodsky

This is a collection of 153 interviews with the Russian poet Josef Brodsky (1940-1996), a Nobel laureate. Among them are conversations with his fellow poets, critics, and journalists. Many topics are everyday life and politics, art and religion, Russian and English poetry. Some of the interviews are translated from English, Polish, Italian, etc. Many of the interviews are published in this book for the first time. Though Brodsky himself opposed this genre and thought that a poet should be known only for his poetry, it was impossible to stop his friends and acquaintances from publishing their memoirs about him and their interviews. Valentina Polukhina, the compiler and the author of the afterword, is a professor of Russian at the University of Keele (England).

Genres: Poetry

701 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2000

About the author

Joseph Brodsky (Russian: Иосиф Бродский] was a Russian-American poet and essayist. Born in Leningrad in 1940, Brodsky ran afoul of Soviet authorities and was expelled from the Soviet Union in 1972, settling in America with the help of W. H. Auden and other supporters. He taught thereafter at several universities, including Yale, Columbia, and Mount Holyoke. Brodsky was awarded the 1987 Nobel Prize in Literature "for an all-embracing authorship, imbued with clarity of thought and poetic intensity." A journalist asked him: "You are an American citizen who is receiving the Prize for Russian-language poetry. Who are you, an American or a Russian?" Brodsky replied: "I'm Jewish; a Russian poet, an English essayist – and, of course, an American citizen." He was appointed United States Poet Laureate in 1991.

Reviews

[Eugene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vow, all the things I have experienced as an immigrant(both past and present), Brodsky analysed for me in his interviews. Sampled some of his poetry after finishing his book, I have a long way to go to appreciate it. His views on Russian poetry of the 2oth century are very unflattering, having strong opinions are going to hurt some members of the poets guild.

[Sergey · Rating 4 out of 5]

"К иронии прибегают из трусости. Необходимо смотреть на вещи прямо."
"Я часто думаю, насколько все бессмысленно - за двумя-тремя исключениями: писать, слушать музыку, пытаться думать. А остальное... - Даже дружба? - Дружба - вещь приятная. Я бы и еду тогда включил..."
"Думаю, что человек должен идентифицировать себя более точно, чем по расе, вере или национальности. Сначала нужно понять, труслив ты, честен или нечестен.

[Gediminas Kontrimas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Šita tai gera. "Realybė visiškai nekontroliuojama". Nu.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Не помню, когда что-то волновало меня так сильно, как мысли Бродского. В интервью он также откровенен, как в стихах, с порога пускает тебя прямо в душу. Кажется, буду перечитывать эту книгу всю жизнь

[Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Трижды прочёл! Лучшие переводы на русский язык! Браво!